General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
2025-37717
Description de l'unité
Mainly based in Grenoble and Chambéry, the Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies nouvelles et les Nanomatériaux (LITEN) is a major actor of European research, entirely focused on new technologies for energy applications. In LITEN, the department for the technologies of new materials has the mission to develop new materials, processes and competitive components for the French industry, by integrating material and energy economy as well as human and environmental safety considerations. In this department, the service has the mission to develop solutions to enhance technology sustainability in the sector of decarbonated energy by developing new innovative processes to address urban mines and fabrication scraps from batteries and solar cells fabrication. The laboratory for the Recycling of the New Technologies for Energy (LRTE), based in Grenoble and located in the described structure, is a dynamic team that develops knowledges and skills in recycling new technologies for more than 10 years, which resulted in the publication of more than 40 patents on the subject.
Position description
Category
Chemistry
Contract
Internship
Job title
M2 internship – Chemistry
Subject
Recycling lithium from li-ion batteries
Contract duration (months)
6 months
Job description
The main goal of this internship is the study of a new process, called Electrochemical Lithium Ion Pumping (ELIP), with real leachates from lithium-ion batteries (obtained from the dissolution of black mass from batteries).
Recently, the European Union set ambitious goals for lithium recuperation in Li-ion batteries (80% of lithium must be recovered by 2031 and 12% of the integrated lithium in new batteries must be recycled by 2036). ELIP is a new innovative process which could answer the main challenges for lithium recovery: efficiency, selectivity and durability. Its principle relies on the use of lithium selective insertion electrodes, used for the extraction of lithium ions from a complex solution, before being de-inserted in a lithium-only containing solution. After a first PhD research project in our team, which highlighted the relevance of this process with model solutions, our next goal is to apply ELIP to real leachates with more complex compositions, and to identify the main issues (selectivity ? efficiency?) caused by these solutions.
In this context, your missions will be:
• To carry the electrochemical measurements with insertion electrodes immersed in real leachates;
• To study electrode degradations with physico-chemical characterizations (XRD, SEM);
• To identify, all or partly, the species impacting these performances, by measurements in model solutions, in order to understand the role of each specie family present in the electrolyte.
This internship will allow you to develop knowledge on recycling new technologies, on lithium-ion battery components, as well as skills in electrochemistry, materials characterization and scientific communication. You will be supervised by a researcher specialized on ELIP and will participate to weekly team meetings, where you will be able to occasionally present your work.
Applicant Profile
•Student in M2 or last year of engineering school with a specialty on chemistry or physico-chemistry;
• You have the fundamental knowledges on solution chemistry, electrochemistry and material chemistry;
• You have knowledge on material characterization (SEM, XRD);
• You can use English for reading and analyzing bibliography;
• You are motivated, curious, rigorous and have team spirit.
Position location
Site
Grenoble
Job location
France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Isère (38)
Location
Grenoble
Candidate criteria
Languages
- English (Fluent)
- French (Fluent)
Prepared diploma
Bac+5 - Diplôme École d'ingénieurs
Recommended training
chemistry or physico-chemistry
PhD opportunity
Oui
Requester
Position start date
02/02/2026
Create candidate area
